A Field Guide to the Birds of China

John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps

Includes over 1300 illustrated bird species in 128 original colour paintings

Useful introductory section presents a background to the ecology of China

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps

Description

China is one of the largest countries in the world, covering 7% of the earth's land surface, and encompassing a hugely diverse range of habitats. As a result it boasts a rich and diverse avifauna, including some of the most spectacular and fascinating birds to be found anywhere in the world. John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps' important new guide will be the first truly comprehensive, taxonomically modern, and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of China. Over 1300 bird species are illustrated in 128 original colour paintings, by Karen Phillipps and Dave Showler. The species accounts stress the key points for field recognition and give a full description of the plumage, voice, range, distribution, status, and behavioral characteristics for every bird, with
additional descriptions provided for hundreds of subspecies. Colour distribution maps are provided for all illustrated species. The book also includes a useful introductory section that presents a background to the ecology of China, a brief history of Chinese ornithology, and plenty of practical hints on birdwatching in China. The guide's portable format means it will fit easily into a backpack or pocket. John MacKinnon lived in China and Hong Kong for eight years, and has extensive experience of watching and writing about Chinese birds. He has been working in ecology and conservation in Asia for over 30 years, and his work in China included co-authoring the master plan to save the Giant Panda and its habitat. He has written and co-authored many books on the natural history of Asia,
including a number of other bird guides. Karen Phillipps was born in Borneo, lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years, and has illustrated several other books on the birdlife of the region.

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps

Table of Contents

Part One - Introductory Section; Author's Introduction; Acknowledgements; Introduction to Region; History of Ornithology in China; Avian Biogeography of Region; Conservation; Field Techniques for Birdwatching; Anatomy and Plumage of a Bird; Glossary of terms used; Part Two - Species Descriptions; Part Three - Appendices: 1. Limited Distribution Birds of Endemic Bird Areas; 2. Lists of Threatened and Endangered Species of China; 3. List of Birds of North Arunachel Pradesh not Described in Book; 4. List of Birds expected on Spratly Islands not Described in Book; 5. List of Clubs and Journals for the area; 6. Chinese Names; Bibliography; Index and synonyms

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps

Author Information

John MacKinnon is Professor of Biodiversity Information at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. He is currently posted in the Philippines as head of a European Union project to set up an ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation. He is Chairman of a Special Biodiversity Working Group that advises the Chinese Government on biodiversity matters, and formerly spent eight years living in China and Hong Kong working on a number of conservation projects in China. Apart from many technical reports on China he has published two other books on the country - Wild China and A Photoguide to the Birds of China. Among several other books on natural history of Asia, he is also the senior author of A Field Guideto the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali which remains the standard bird guide to the Greater Sunda Islands.

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps

Reviews and Awards

"This field guide has been long awaited by the growing number of birders visiting China. By including in one volume all the species--complete with distribution maps--recorded in this vast country, it represents a huge step forward. It is the first complete, taxonomically up-to-date and fully illustrated guide to the birds of China published in English ... The initial chapters include an introduction to the region, with a revealing section on birds in the local economy and culture. ... Next come the 128 all-important colour plates, which have distribution maps opposite--an arrangement which I like. ... The species accounts cover nomenclature, descriptions, voice, range (global), distribution and status (within region) and habits, and occupy 500 pages. Finally, there are
appendices which include lists of endangered and protected species, and endemic and limited-distribution species. ... This book is a major achievement and an invaluable conservation tool."--Birdwatch

"This field guide is a great step forward and essential for anyone with an interest in China's birds. For the first time, in any language, all China's 1329 species are described and illustrated in one book and despite containing more than 500 pages its A5 size makes it compact enough for easy field use. The layout is well thought out...it is easy to identify which similar species should be present in a particular region of China. It is well worth the price of the book just to have all species illustrated accurately. Overall a good quality field guide that I would not be without." -- Ross MacLeod, British Ornithologists' Union, Vol 143, 2001